


A Letter

by TourmalineQueen



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Comment Fic, Feels, M/M, politics theme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 10:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3647625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TourmalineQueen/pseuds/TourmalineQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Data receives a letter which makes him question things. Geordi helps matters. For Doreyg's prompt on Comment Fic (over on LJ), <i>Star Trek: TNG, Geordi La Forge/Data, he's tired of people thinking that their relationship has political implications. I'm also going on a distant memory of the characters, so hopefully they won't be ooc.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DoreyG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoreyG/gifts).



Geordi rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders exaggeratedly in the turbolift. _Some day, someone is going to invent Jeffries Tubes that aren't murder on the back and neck, heck, maybe I'll even do it myself_ , he thought, and smiled to himself at the thought of Data, whose shift on the Bridge had ended a few hours ago, and who would, in all likelihood, be waiting for him. Maybe he'd have even cooked up something nice to eat: as tired and achy as he felt, Geordi wasn't up to going to Ten Forward this evening.

Finally, the 'lift halted and he trotted eagerly along the corridor to the quarters he, more often than not, shared with Data, only to find the other man already seated, his PADD in his hand and an expression of mild consternation on his face.

"Data?" Geordi asked, aware that the doors opening would have alerted Data to his arrival, and surprised that he had not yet offered any kind of greeting.

Data stood and turned, expression clearing. "Geordi. It is good to see you. How was your day?"

Geordi smiled tiredly. "Spent most of it in the Jeffries Tubes with Worf trying not to think about the last time we were in there in an _unofficial_ capacity."

Data gave Geordi an unreadable look. "Did you tell the Lieutenant-Commander about it?"

Geordi snorted a laugh and crossed the room to sit beside Data, beckoning the other man to sit as he did so. "I doubt Worf would have appreciated knowing where my... and your... No. It's nobody's business except our own what we do together, unless we want to talk about it. And we haven't really had that conversation yet."

"We told the Captain," Data pointed out. "And Dr Crusher knows after the time I accidentally-"

"Well, yes, Data, but I mean, they weren't asking for the sake of gossip. And I'm fairly sure the Captain wants to know as little as possible about what we get up to."

"He knows a certain amount," Data replied, not aggressively, but doggedly. He held up the PADD. "The Captain received this letter today, and wished for me to read it to help him answer in a suitable manner. My emotion chip did not help matters the way I had expected it would. I got angry and could not stop being angry. It was most uncomfortable. It may be a malfunction. Perhaps you could look at it. Tomorrow, when you are not so tired."

"May I read the letter?" Geordi asked, "or would that be a violation of his privacy?"

"Captain Picard said you might as well read it, too, as you are also a party to the allegations," Data said, handing it over.

"Allegations?" Geordi asked. He skimmed over the contents of the letter, eyebrows raising at the mention of _Terra Prime_ (but that was destroyed back in Archer's day...) and snarling at the words _unnatural_ , _illegal_ , _inhuman_ , and growled outright at _misuse of Starfleet property_.

"What did the Captain say about all this? He could deny knowledge of our relationship, and save his neck when they go public," Geordi commented as he handed the PADD back to Data.

"I told him the same thing, even if it is a lie, it is a small untruth for the benefit of many. He laughed and told me there was no way he would allow any man, woman or child on board his ship be intimidated by jackals. I did not think that jackals were capable of-"

"It was intended as an insult to the ... the ... bastards that wrote this piece of filth, Data. He wasn't being literal," Geordi told his lover.

"Ah. I expect I will find it more humorous when my emotion chip is no longer malfunctioning."

"Your emotion chip isn't malfunctioning, Data. Political bullshit like this is going to make you angry, and keep you that way, at least until we deal with it. Say, Data?"

"Yes, Geordi?"

"How many different ways of saying "Go to Hell" do you know?"

"In English only or in a variety of languages?"

"In all the languages you know."

"About 289,000,000 results (in 0.36 seconds)," Data replied.

Geordi grinned. "That's going to be a long letter."

"Do you think the Captain will agree to it?"

"Data, I'm willing to bet he'll want to send it through every official channel he can."

*-*-*

Much later that night, Geordi found himself awake, but unsure why. He reached over to Data's side of the bed only to find it vacant. Grumbling good-naturedly about androids who don't let their human lovers get enough sleep, he got out of bed, affixed his VISOR and went looking for Data.

"Are they right about us?" Data asked quietly.

"Will you get back in bed, please?" Geordi countered.

"Are they right to say that it is unnatural for you and I to be together, Geordi?" Data asked, and from the tone of his voice, Geordi suspected that Data's emotion chip was back in use.

Geordi shook his head. "Some people, no matter what species, think that everything is political. Was it political when Chief O'Brien married Keiko? Or when those two Crewmen from Security got hitched? When Lwaxana Troi married a man from Earth, not Betazed?"

"None of those people, Geordi, was an AI," Data replied.

"You've already proven to Starfleet that you are your own man, Data. We knew there would be naysayers, but I though our friendship - our relationship - was strong enough to overcome the opinions of people we have never met, and probably never will meet. 

"You have a father, you have a brother, you have a job, and friends, morals and ethics, musical talent, and a weird sense of humour. What else do I need in a man but that? You focus too much on the Artificial part and not enough on the Intelligent part. 

"I love you, I'm in a relationship with you, not what you can do for me politically or in terms of my career. So. Now, I've given you a big, moving speech, will you please come back to bed?"

Data stared at Geordi for a long time. Finally, he spoke. "You've never said that before."

"I said it twice already tonight, Data," Geordi replied, deliberately misunderstanding. "I'll tell you again if you come to bed with me now."

Data stood. "I love you also, Geordi."

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's ST:TNG, but I got a lot of my feels from Bioware games, specifically the Tranquil in Dragon Age (you'll know what I mean when you get to it) and the AI debate in Mass Effect.


End file.
